The Knights, The Warlock, and The Wardrobe
by MerlinWinchestr
Summary: Arthur gets a new wardrobe for his room. What he doesn't know is that the wardrobe has a secret, a secret that could very easily reveal Merlin's own secret. Can Merlin destroy the secret in the wardrobe or will his secret be revealed once and for all?
1. Chapter 1

**_This story takes place sometime between season three and four. Arthur is the Prince Regent (at least, that's what I think his title was. It's when Uther is to devestated to be king, but Arthur refuses the title of king) and Lancelot is still alive. Hope you enjoy! :)_**

**_Disclaimer: In no way, form, or fashion do I own anything to do with Merlin...if I did, it would be a lot more violent and Merlin would be hurt more...and their would be more Gwaine haha :P_**

_Chapter 1: The Wardrobe_

The sun rose above the walls of Camalot, casting a thin ray of light into one of the tower's windows, the dark red curtains capturing some of the bright morning sun.

Then the curtains were thrown back, revealing a dark haired lad wearing servant's clothes. The light, now free to enter the room, poured into the large room, filling it with the rays of the bright October sun. The light moved toward the large bed with the tangled sheets. The still lump in the bed moved briefly as the bright light reached the form's face, revealing messy dirty-blonde hair.

Prince Regent Arthur groaned as the light reached his eyes. Craving the darkness, the young prince pulled the covers over his eyes and grew still once more.

"Rise and shine, sleepy head!" Merlin, the prince's manservant, chirped cheerfully as he headed toward the dresser to get Arthur's clothes.

"I don't wanna." Arthur whined, his voice muffled by the thick covers.

"Why can't you just get up for once?" Merlin sighed, hanging the prince's clothes over the changing shade.

"Go 'way Merlin." Arthur pulled the covers tight around him.

Merlin shook his head as he headed back across the room toward the desk with the prince's breakfast sitting on it. He was silent as he filled the goblet full of water and placed it beside the slightly cold eggs.

Arthur could hear his servant moving around, but his eyes had closed again in the darkness of his covers and he felt himself drifting back to sleep. He took a deep breath and was almost asleep once more when the covers were yanked away from his body.

"Merlin!" Arthur groaned, turning over on his stomach and buring his face in his pillow.

"Wake up, sire." Merlin said in his respectful, yet disrespectful voice.

Arthur mummbled something unintellagable and Merlin just gave a small grin as he walked over to stand beside Arthur's bed. Arthur shot up out of bed when the water hit the back of his head, soaking him and his pillow.

"Merlin!" Arthur sputtered, now wide-awake.

Merlin just grinned at him and turned to place the now empty pitcher back on the table.

"Your breakfast is getting cold, sire." He said.

Arthur's soggy pillow hit him in the back of the head, causing the grin to fall as Merlin rolled his eyes. Sometimes Arthur was a bigger child then Merin. Arthur yawned and stretched as he headed over to shade and started getting dressed, wiping his wet hair with a spare shirt that was just lying around.

"I expect my bed to be perfectly dry by tonight, Merlin." Arthur announced as he walked to the desk, now fully dressed.

"Of course." Merlin had expected that, but the oppertunity had been to good. His usual goofy grin was in place as he reached down and stole a bit of sausage from Arthur's plate.

"And I expect my room to be completly clean, the floor's washed, my armor polished, my sword sharpened and polished, my laundry done and put away, and the stables mucked out." Arthur listed as he began eating his cold breakfast.

Merlin gaped at Arthur, knowing there was no way he could finish all that in one day.

_'Unless the armor cleans itself,'_ Merlin thought, his grin returning. _'And the sword gets sharpened so much faster on it's own.'_

He knew Gaius wouldn't like it, but what was the point in having magic if he wasn't going to use it? It wasn't like he was going to get caught.

"Yes, Arthur." he sighed, beginning to collect the random pieces of clothing that littered the room.

"Oh, and Merlin," Arthur added as he swallowed the water. "Don't forget that you have to help move that new wardobe in here today."

Merlin's mouth fell open.

"But that's not my job!" He complained.

"It is now." Arthur replied cheerfully, standing and wiping his mouth. "Better clean this place up first."

Merlin just stared as his friend grabbed his sword and walked out of the room. Merlin sighed and went back to picking up and cleaning.

_Three Hours Later_

Merlin stood beside the large wardrobe and looked around in annoyance. Here he was suppose to be helping carry the big, heavy wardrobe to Arthur's room and he was the only one there.

"Typical." he muttered aloud, looking around once more.

No servants were around, but he sighed when he saw several knights approaching. Merlin instantly recognized Gwaine, Lancelot, and Percival. He saw Gwaine's mouth moving, saw the annoyed look on both Lancelot's and Percival's faces and he knew that Gwaine was on one of his non-stop, meaningless lectures.

"Hello, Merlin." Lancelot sighed in relief when he spotted the warlock. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be polishing Arthur's armor?"

"Already did." Merlin grinned at the only man who knew his secret.

It wasn't a lie. Arthur's armor was in Merlin's room, polishing itself and it should have been done by then.

"What're you doin' here, Merlin?" Gwaine slurred cheerfully, flinging his arm around his best friend's shoulders.

Merlin smelled the alchohol on his breath and knew that Gwaine had already hit the tavern, even though it was barely noon.

"Waiting for the other servents to get here and help me carry this blasted wardobe up to Arthur's room." Merlin replied, wondering how drunk the new knight was.

"I don't see any other servants, Merlin." Lancelot said before Gwaine could say anything.

"I don't think they're coming." Merlin admitted.

"Need help?" Percival asked in his usual few words.

Merlin nodded.

"Well come on then," Gwaine said loudly, waving dramatically. "Let's get this to the Princess's room!"

Percival and Merlin laughed at Gwaine's antics, but Lancelot frowned at the obvious disrespect and carelessness that was in Gwaine's voice and speech. The four of them quickly picked the wardrobe up, with Gwaine, Merlin, and Lancelot glad for Percival's size and strength.

It was a long, slow moving thirty minutes as the three knights and the secret warlock struggled up the stairs and into Arthur's room. It took another ten minutes for the four to move the wardrobe into the position it was suppose to be.

"Thanks." Merlin said breathlessly, slumping down onto Arthur's now dry and made bed.

"No problem." Lancelot replied, falling into one of the three chairs.

"Glad to help." Gwaine grumbled, now completly sober, and fell into the chair beside Lancelot.

Percival just nodded and leaned against the wall. They all sat their in silence for a few moments, three to tired, sore, and breathless to talk and the other just not having anything to say.

Then the wardrobe shook violently.


	2. Chapter 2

_**I still do not own Merlin.**_

_Chapter 2: Out of The Wardrobe_

_Then the wardrobe shook violently._

Percival, leaning against the wall right next to the wardrobe, reeacted first as he jumped and pratically ran to stand a few feet in front of the wardrobe. Gwaine, Lancelot, and Merlin all jumped to their feet, the chairs Lancelot and Gwaine had been sitting in overturning in their haste.

"Is it normal for wardrobes to shake?" Gwaine asked, nervousness in his voice.

"No." Percival grunted.

After a look at Merlin, Lancelot took a step forward, sword at the ready. Merlin took a deep breath and prepared himself to use magic on whatever jumped from the wardrobe. With a slightly shaking hand, Lancelot opened the wardrobe. He jumped backwards quickly, sword at the ready, still in front of the others, but it was a moment before anything happened.

A large snake, taller then most men, slithered out from the wardrobe. It rose up, tongue flickering as it hissed and stared right at Lancelot. Lancelot gasped, his eyes wide, and jumped backward, his sword falling to the floor. He landed on Gwaine, who promptly fell over, a frightened Lancelot on top of him.

Percival stepped forward and swung his sword at the snake, but nothing happened. The sword passed straight through the snake, who then turned his scaly head toward Percival who's eyes were wide as he brought his sword back to a defensive position.

With a pop, the snake was gone. In it's place was a large dog that was foaming at the mouth. The dog let out a loud bark, and crouched down as if to jump. Percival took a few haulting steps backward, before tripping over one of the overturned chairs. He stared in horror as the mad dog took a step toward him.

Gwaine, having freed himself from the frightened Lancelot, stepped in front and swung his sword at the dog. The sword passed straight through the beast, just as it had done to the snake. The dog growled up at Gwaine before a loud pop was heard and hte dog was replaced with a large, mean looking man.

"No." Gwaine whispered, his sword falling uselessly to his side as he backed away from the slowly approaching man.

"You useless little boy." The man snarled, advancing on the startled Gwaine. "You stupid little brat."

Merlin, seeing the sweat and fear pouring off of Gwaine, bravely stepped between his friend and the man. The man dissapeared with a pop and in his place stood and angry looking Arthur.

Merlin looked confused as the angry Arthur stood in front of him. Lancelot and Percival had gotten over their shock and fear and now stood beside Gwaine who was breathing hard, trying to calm down. The words that came out of the fake Arthur's mouth froze them all.

"Sorcerer!"

Merlin's eyes grew wide as Arthur glared at him and drew his sword and continued speaking.

"You liar! I trusted you! And you lied to me! Prepare to die, sorcerer!"

Merlin didn't wait around to die. He turned on his heels and ran out the door. He heard the three knights follow him, but he didn't stop. He was done for. His secret was out. Gwaine and Percival would run him through now. And all because of that thing in the wardrobe.

"Merlin!" Lancelot yelled, but Merlin kept running. "Stop!"

When Merlin didn't stop, Gwaine sped up, outdistancing the other two easily. With a leap, he tackled Merlin to the ground and pinned him their, shaking his head to move his hair out of his eyes.

"Get off me!" Merlin ordered, struggling to free himself.

"Not if you plan on running again." Gwaine answered, sitting down on Merlin's stomach.

Lancelot and Percival reached them then. Lancelot bent down and grabbed one of Merlin's arms, Gwaine grabbed the other, and the two picked Merlin up.

"Don't run Merlin." Lancelot whispered in his ear. "Nothing is going to happen."

Merlin took a deep breath and nodded. He trusted Lancelot, but he was still going to be careful and ready to run at a moments notice. Lancelot let go of him and Gwaine did as well after a moments hesitation.

"What was that thing?" Lancelot asked.

"Things." Percival corrected.

"How did it change shapes like that?" Gwaine asked.

"Obviously it's some kind of magical creature." Merlin answered nervously.

"One that shows your fears." Percival announced.

The other three looked at him in confusion.

"What?" he asked.

"How do you figure that?" Gwaine asked.

"Well," Percival started. "I'm scared to death of mad dogs, and I take it Lancelot is scared of big snakes, and you, Gwaine, seem to be afraid of that man, and Merlin is afraid of Arthur. So it shows what you're afraid of. That's my guess at least, by all of our reeactions."

They all stared at him in shock. This was the first time they had heard the quiet man say more then four words.

"What?" He asked, wondering why they were all staring at him.

"You can talk in more then four worded sentances!" Gwaine exclaimed.

Percival rolled his eyes.

"I'm not stupid." he replied. "I just never have anything to say."

"Come on." Merlin inturrpted, still nervous about what the fake Arthur had said. "We need to talk to Gaius."

The other three nodded and they quickly made their way through the passageways and toward the physician's chambers.


	3. Chapter 3

_**I own nothing you recognize. The italized words are from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban page 133-134. **_

_Chapter 3: The Boggart_

"Hmm I believe you are right, Sir Percival." Gaius said to the four in front of him after they had finished explaining. "This creature sounds like a creature that takes the shape of your worst fear."

"What creature is it, Gaius?" Merlin asked, his nervousness of his secret being exposed still evident in his voice.

"I'm not..." his voice trailed off as the old physician turned and started toward the door. "I'll be back shortly. I need to find a book. Stay here, all of you."

Then he was gone, the door slamming shut behind him. Their was silence for a moment as the three knights and Merlin just sat their. Then Gwaine broke the silence.

"So you're afraid of snakes?" Gwaine turned toward Lancelot and grinned.

"Bad experiance as a child." Lancelot blushed.

"Oh?" Gwaine grinned slyly. "And what would that experiance be?"

"I fell in a snake's nest." The blush deepened. "Haven't liked snakes since."

Merlin looked at Gwaine warily, hoping that he would not mention what he himself was afraid of.

"Who was that man you were afraid of?" Lancelot asked, trying to turn the conversation away from him.

"My step father." Gwaine answered gruffly. His eyes narrowed and anger shone through them as he remembered the man he had backed away from.

"Why..." Merlin started to ask, but he shook his head and muttered. "Never mind."

"He beat me and my mother and sister." Gwaine explained quietly.

"I'm sorry." Percivial muttered.

Lancelot and Merlin just stared in shock.

"So why mad dogs?" Gwaine asked Percival awkwardly.

Percival shrugged.

"One attacked my village when I was a child." he explained easily. "It was chasing me when they killed it."

The other three instantly understood how that could make someone scared of mad dogs.

"So, Merlin..." Gwaine started, but the door opening cut him off.

"I've got it!" Gaius exclaimed as he hurried in carrying a large book.

The four men gathered around the physician as he began flipping through the pages.

"The creature is a boggart." He explained when he found the right page.

"A what?" Gwaine asked.

"A boggart." Gaius repeated. "_It's a shapeshifter. It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."_

"Well it certainly succeds in that." Gwaine muttered.

"Listen." Gaius said as he began to read from the page. "_Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces. Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, _and other dark enclosed spaces. _Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, _but when they are released from their space, they will take the form of whatever will frighten the person it is facing the most. To get rid of a boggart, _it's always best to have company. He becomes confused _and will try to frighten to people at once, only to turn into half of one fear and half of another."

"Great." Merlin groaned. "So there's a shape-shifting magical creature in Arthur's wardobe."

"How do we get rid of it?" Lancelot asked.

"I'm afraid it can only be destroyed by magic." Gaius answered, sneaking a glance at Merlin.

"Well good thing we got Merlin here." Gwaine said with a smile, throwing his arm around his friend.

"W..what?" Merlin stammered, his face pailing.

"Well that's what you're most scared of, isn't it?" Gwaine replied. "Arthur finding out your a sorcerer."

"You're insane." Merlin's voice squeaked in his nervousness as his face grew paler. "I'm not a sorcerer."

"Sure you're not." Gwaine laughed.

"I'm not!" Merlin was beginning to panic.

"We won't tell." Percival announced, placing a hand on the panicing boy's shoulder.

"'Course we won't!" Gwaine voiced. "But you got to to show us some tricks! Magic! How cool is that! You got a death wish or something, coming to Camelot and working for the princess?"

"I'm not a sorcerer!" Merlin protested again.

"Give it up, Merlin." Gaius sighed and shook his head.

"It's not all that bad, Merlin." Lancelot added. "Gwaine and Percival said they wouldn't tell."

"How long you been practicing magic?" Gwaine asked.

"I was born with it." Merlin said quietly, feeling overwhelmed that two more now knew of his magic.

"That's awesome!" Gwaine exclaimed. He started to ask another question, but Gaius cut him off.

"Not a word about this, Gwaine. If Uther was to find out, Merlin would be burned or beheaded!"

"I won't say a word!" Gwaine said seriously.

"So how do we...uh does Merlin destroy the boggart?" Lancelot asked.

"You must make what you fear the most something amusing, something that will make you laugh while saying the spell."

"What's the spell?" Merlin asked.

"There's two." Gaius held the book out to him and pointed his finger at the spells. "You must say the first one first, then the second one will finish it off."

Merlin mouthed the spells and practiced a few times before feeling he was ready.

"We better take care of it before Arthur comes back." he announced and hurried out the door.

The others followed quickly and they hurried to Arthur's chambers, hoping Arthur wasn't there or it would be tricky to explain what was wrong with his new wardrobe.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Ok, this story is definatly not one of my best, but the idea wouldn't leave me alone so I did my best. Feel free to steal the idea and make it better if you wish. _**

**_I still own nothing. _**

_Chapter 4: The End of The Boggart_

The four men stood in front of the closed wardrobe. Apparently the boggart had retreated back into it as soon as it's victims had left. The wardrobe shook violently as the four men stared nervously at it. The three knights had their hands on their swords, even though they knew they could do nothing to the boggart.

"Well go on, Merlin." Gwaine said nervously, giving his friend a slight push. "You are the one who has magic after all."

"Chicken." Merlin hissed as he stumbled forward.

"Yep, that's me." Gwaine grinned. "Now destroy that thing before Arthur comes back."

Merlin glared back at his friend before turning back to the wardrobe.

"Oscail." His eyes flashed gold and the wardrobe doors flung open.

It was rather strange to see Prince Arthur crouching inside a wardrobe. Merlin took a deep breath and held his hand out as the boggart slowly stepped out of the wardrobe and closed the space between it and Merlin.

"Sorcerer!" The Arthur boggart shouted. "How could you? You liar!"

Merlin trembled as he took a deep breath and focused on a way to make Arthur amusing.

"A dhéanamh dom gáire!"

Merlin's eyes glowed gold and a ball of gold light shot from his hand at the boggart. It stumbled backwards and when it looked back up at Merlin, Arthur was sporting a pair of donkey ears, large bucked teeth, hot pink skin, and a sky blue dress.

The three knights burst out laughing, and Gwaine hit the floor as the boggart opened its mouth and let out a loud bray. Merlin held his laughter just long enough to say the second spell.

"Scrios le gáire!"

His eyes glowed gold again and another golden ball of light flew from his hand and hit the boggart in the chest, blowing it to pieces. Merlin turned around, goofy grin on his face.

Their was silence for a few moments. Gwaine was on the ground, holding his stomach, and tears were in all of their eyes. Then they all burst out laughing. Merlin joined Gwaine on the floor, tears streaming from his eyes. Lancelot fell into the chair and held his head as he laughed. Percival remained upright, his loud laugh booming through the room. None of them heard the door open.

"What is going on here?" Arthur shouted when he saw three of his knights and his servant laughing in his room.

"N..nothing, Princ...Princess." Gwaine choked out between laughs.

"Just talking." Lancelot added.

Percival nodded in agreement.

"You three, training grounds, now!" Arthur ordered angerily.

"See you later, Merlin." Lancelot said as he walekd out the room.

"See you." Percival said as well.

"I'll come and get you later, Merlin." Gwaine announced. "We're going to the tavern tonight!"

Merlin groaned softly. "All right. See you then."

"My stables still need to be mucked out." Arthur said as he crossed his arms and glared at his manservent. "What have you been doing all day?"

"Chores." Merlin replied with a grin. "And talking."

"Get to work." Arthur ordered with a shake of his head.

"Yes, sire." Merlin said, hiding his laughter as he imagined Arthur as the boggart.

Arthur watched his giggling manservant walk out of his room. The Prince Regent shook his head. He would never understand that boy.

* * *

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